The Business of Video Games & The Software Development Process

by calbert anderson on 08/03/16

Software development can be somewhat of an ambiguous process
at times. From coordinating developer activity, planning, to just keeping everyone on
point with the overall objective. Add in trying to construct a complex product
such as a football video game further complicates the process. This is why when I see people
make what appear to be uniformed outlandish comments it really takes me a back.

Some of
these individuals are much too young to remember Madden’s original state when
it released (go do your research). They are the “I want it now” generation. Who believes that you can
just sprinkle fairy dust on something and Viola! You have a football game!

Well, I wish it were that simple. However, unfortunately, it’s
not because as the cliché’ saying goes… if it were that easy everybody would be
doing it. That is much the case with what we are building. We are not just building
a football video game, we are building a culture. We are building history! And
when you are trying to do something few will take on, the critics are bound to
come out in droves to persecute and ridicule you for trying to enforce change.

These are
the same individuals that say they want change but do not support it so they
scream from the rafters to the big developers like 2k to swoop in and save the
day. What these individuals fail to realize is that gaming is in fact a
business. And a big business at that! No different than oil, TV, the stock
market etc. Businesses, especially large ones, make decisions based on Return on
Investment (ROI) not the emotions of others.

This is exactly why Madden will most likely never be the
game some of you sim gamers want it to be. Because if it were, EA would lose a
great deal of their base sales and market share, which doesn’t make their Board
of Directors or their investors very happy.

So basically, this is a much bigger issue than just creating some complex
AI and sim football. It’s a business!

Where we differ is we are playing to a much smaller audience and
have no allegiances to a Board of Directors or investors. This provides us with
the flexibility to alter our marketing strategies as well as our game content on
the fly…in real-time! Without repercussions!

Large companies are accountable to so many individuals
everything must go through a lengthy approval process in order to make the minutest of moves. This
is why I state over and over with conviction, that indie developers are the best
hope for bringing sim football to those who want it. However, the more you
continue to support the big developers with your dollars the more you will keep
getting the product you’re getting. Because at the end of the day, if you keep fattening the cat, what
incentive does he/she have to change?